Canucks Mayday: a look at Roberto Luongo

Throughout the month of May, we’re taking a look at the Canucks roster, and the organization, every weekday. Today’s subject: Roberto Luongo

2011/12

In Roberto Luongo’s fourth game of the season, he handled an easy dump-in in the third period of a 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers. The Rogers Arena crowd erupted in a chorus of boos. Well, actually cheers.

The bronx cheer. Oh boy.

Plenty in the media picked up on it, with typical finger-waving fashion. Tsk tsk, fans.

But most didn’t have a clue of how the fans and Luongo got to a point where just two weeks into a season, three months after a winner-take-all game for the Stanley Cup, he was sarcastically mocked in his home building.

To understand it, you have to appreciate all the water that has passed under this bridge, the water which should help carry Luongo out of town this offseason.

When Mike Gillis took over as Canucks general manager in 2008, in his first meeting with the press, he labelled Luongo the “best goaltender in the world.”

He wasn’t the first one to say it. But it was an impossible tag that set up years of impossible expectations. He said then, Luongo was the player the Canucks would be built around.

The Canucks continued to be protective of the, as though Luongo being the best in the world was trademarked, even complaining about media members who didn’t exactly share the same opinion of Luongo’s perceived greatness.
Then, in the fall of 2008, the Canucks made it worse, making Luongo the first goalie captain in 60 years, despite being warned by the goalie coach at the time, Ian Clark, who had known him for years, that it was a bad idea. Just what Luongo didn’t need – more attention, more focus and more responsibility.

No other goalie was captain, but Luongo was going to be.
And then, a year later, the Canucks made him him highest paid goalie in the land with his 12-year contract, that pays him the ridiculous $64 million for a ridiculous length of time.
You want to know where the incomprehensible expectations from fans came from? Start there. Start with the Canucks. They cultivated it. And Luongo was never going to live up to it. Each stumble in the playoffs only exacerbated it. How could the best goalie in the world give up seven goals in an elimination game against the Blackhawks? How could a $10 million goalie give up five goals three times in one series against the Hawks?
How could Luongo not be perfect? How did Luongo become the backup?
Luongo wasn’t perfect this year. He was very good. At least, after October. But very good has never been good enough for Luongo.
In October, Luongo incorporated yet another change to his technique, raising his glove hand. It took him some time to get used to, much like it did the year before when he embraced Rollie Melanson’s ideas that he play further back in his crease. This year, he was .500 in October with an .869 save percentage.
He was just starting to get comfortable when he strained rib cartilage in a game against the Anaheim Ducks. He aggravated further in a game against the New York Islanders on Nov. 13.
Really, it was that injury which ultimately opened the door in a significant way for Cory Schneider.
In training camp, there was no talk about Schneider competing for the No. 1 job. He continued to be painted as Luongo’s caddy. He was insurance. It was said he had no future in Vancouver, not with Luongo’s so-called lifetime contract. No chance.
That view point began change dramatically after Luongo came back from his rib injury in November and Schneider was still starting.
Schneider dazzled in seven straight starts and the goalie controversy which had been simmering in the background, mostly with the fans, finally had some legitimate fuel.
At the time, Alain Vigneault said: “It’s probably not the fact (Luongo’s) not playing, as much as he is a competitor – it’s dealing with you people (the media).”
Maybe. Somehow, I think that changed by April. When Luongo didn’t start the final three games against the L.A. Kings in the first round of the playoffs, I doubt his main issue was answering questions about it.
In the Canucks last month of the season, Luongo started 11 games, Schneider seven. It was the closest the Canucks have ever come to splitting the job. It also set the table for what happened in the playoffs, and was a good indicator the Canucks would be willing to move quickly to Schneider in the playoffs.

Key statistics:

Luongo started 54 games, tying for the fewest he’s started in Vancouver.
Luongo’s .919 save percentage was the fourth best of his Canucks career.
Luongo’s 2.41 GAA ranks fifth for his six-year Canucks career.
How well Luongo played in the postseason, however, has probably been overstated. He had an .891 save percentage in two games. That ranks 17th in the playoffs.
Cory Schneider? His .960 save percentage is the best in the postseason.

Luongo’s future:

He appears ready to move on, and so is the team.
Luongo’s future in Vancouver was determined, essentially, on April 18. He had started the first two games of the playoffs and played well.
The Canucks went with Schneider after losing the first two games with Luongo in net. They said it was to change momentum. The Canucks lost. But they went back to Schneider on April 18th for Game 4 and again for Game 5.
Schneider became the starter and most realized what that meant moving forward. It would mean a lot more than 30 games next year. The writing was on the wall, and Luongo saw it.
In his post-season meeting with the press, Luongo said he understood Schneider was ready to be a starter. Luongo is not ready to be a backup. And there seems no doubt now, he will want to be traded because of it.
At some point the Canucks have to make a choice, and the point is now.
But where will Luongo end up?
With Tampa lukewarm on taking on Luongo’s contract, which has 10 years left, and Florida with a potential star of the future of its own in Jacob Markström, the best fit appears to be Toronto.
Chicago could change things and so could New Jersey if Martin Brodeur retires. For now, Toronto is the trendy pick with assets to trade back, a desperate need for a starting goalie and, more importantly, pressure to make the playoffs.
Luongo with Randy Carlyle as coach should get the Leafs to the playoffs. What’s that worth?
Toronto will be on Luongo’s wish list. So will Chicago, Florida, Tampa and probably Jersey.
Some believe the Canucks have to take a bad contract back, others think the best thing to do may to trade Luongo for draft picks and get cap space. It says here, they are going to be able to get a player who can help them win now.

Contract status:
Luongo has 10 years remaining on his deal, and is owed $47.28 million. Of that, $40.28 million is owed in the next six years. In seven years, Luongo’s salary drops to $3.38 million. In eight years, it’s $1.618 million
There are a couple of interesting clauses in the contract, which have been dubbed out-clauses. Luongo can supply a five-team trade list following the 2013-14 season, valid through July 15, 2014.
If he doesn’t provide a list, the team can request a five-team trade list following the final game of 2017-18 season, valid through Sept. 1, 2018.. If Luongo submits a trade list in 2014 and isn’t moved, the team loses its right to request trade list in 2018.

Team options:

The Canucks face quite the conundrum with their goalies. Cory Schneider won’t negotiate a long-term deal until Luongo is traded and the Canucks can’t really trade Luongo if they’re not sure they can sign Schneider to that multi-year deal. They could lose both.
It may feel the Canucks have a long time, but if they get to July 1 and Schneider isn’t signed, he will be exposed to predatory offer sheets for four days.
Schneider is set to become a RFA on July 1. The Canucks can take him to arbitration, but not until July 5.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.